When Death Occurs

No matter if a death is sudden, or if it something that was a long time coming, the loss of a loved one makes us feel emotional and overwhelmed.  No amount of preparation can fully prepare you for the loss of a loved one.  When you are in a heightened emotional state, even the most basic decisions can seem staggering.  The following is a rough guideline of what needs to be done within the first 24 hours after death.

When death occurs at home or a place of business

If the person was not under hospice care, the police will have to be notified immediately.  The police will be dispatched to the home and place the call to the coroner.  From there the coroner will take the body and determine whether further action is necessary.  The coroner must release the body before Reynars Funeral Home and Crematorium can do anything.  If the coroner releases the body, at the place of death, for example at the deceased home, you can call Reynars Funeral Home immediately at 250-782-2424. 

When a death occurs at a hospital/nursing home/hospice facility

The staff of a care facility such as a hospital or a nursing home will notify you and the necessary authorities immediately after a death has occurred.  When Reynars Funeral Home and Crematorium has been provided as the contact funeral home to the hospital or nursing home, we will be notified at the time of death.  If you are present at the hospital when our funeral director arrives, they will ask a few questions about the deceased wishes and set up a time to come into the funeral home to make arrangements.  However, if you are not present, please contact Reynars Funeral Home to discuss these arrangements.

Informing a Funeral Director

Once everything has been cleared with the proper authorities, the next call you place should be to Reynars Funeral Home and Crematorium.  We are here to help you obtain a death certificate, transport the body, and in the event pre-planning was not done, select a casket/urn and arrange the funeral/memorial service.  We will file all necessary documentation.  Our staff are here to help and advise you and will work very hard to relieve the stress and logistics involved in funeral planning.

Meeting a Funeral Director

You should meet with one of our funeral directors as soon as possible after a death to begin to make final arrangements for your loved one.  Deciding on these final arrangements may seem like a very daunting task, especially when you are in heightened emotional state, but, our staff have years of experience dealing with these issues, and strive to ensure everything goes as smoothly as possible.

Making Arrangements

Our staff will gather information required for the death certificate.  This includes:

  • Full Name and Address of deceased 
  • Marital Status
  • Health Care Number
  • Date and City of Birth
  • Father’s Name and Mother’s Name (including maiden name)
  • Name of Spouse (if married or widowed)
  • Occupation and Employer

Our staff will also need pertinent documents required to do all the legal paperwork, those documents include:

Beneficiary Designations

  • Copy of Birth Certificate
  • Social Insurance Number
  • Marriage Certificate (if applicable)
  • Last Will

Necessary arrangements need to be made for the funeral service.  These include:

  • Scheduling the location, date and time of the visitation and funeral service
  • Selecting burial or cremation
  • Choosing Funeral Products
  • Arranging a cemetery plot
  • Preparing an obituary notice
  • Scheduling transportation arrangements

We will guide you through all these steps, using your wants, needs and desires as a foundation to create a memorable funeral for your loved one. Funeral services can be personalized to best represent your loved one.  Did your loved one have a favorite sports team?  What was their favorite type of music?  What activity was your loved one known best for?  Recalling fond memories assists with the grieving process and will help honor the life of your loved one.